Fuse



C. B. WINKLE FUSE Sept. 20, 1949.

Filed Feb. 15; 1945 Slime/H4 04 Charleafi- Winkl e QYWMMMM Patented Sept. 20, 1949 (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 6 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon,

This invention relates to land mines, and more particularly to land mines adapted to be set for explosion at a predetermined temperature.

A main objective of this invention is to provide a land mine which may be effectively concealed and which is preset to explode without any required mechanical actuation, but merely by a change in temperature, such as a seasonal change in ambient temperature.

A further object of this invention is to provide a land mine adapted to be concealed in evacuated areas which will explode at a definite temperature change and cause destruction to enemy installations.

Further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and claims and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a land mine according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view of an adjusting screw and indicator means used in presetting the land mine of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, I designates the housing for the main explosive charge 2 of a land mine. Appropriately secured to the top wall of housing I is an auxiliary housing 3 containing a detonating assembly. Said detonating assembly comprises a tubular sleeve 4 threadedly engaged with the bottom wall of auxiliary housing 3 and extending into housing i. At the bottom end of sleeve 4 a booster container 5 is threadedly secured to sleeve 4, said container carrying a booster charge 6 adapted to set off main charge 2 when exploded.

Mounted in an appropriate recess provided in the top end of sleeve 4 is a percussion cap I which is adapted to explode booster charge 6 when detonated. Flash passage 8 in sleeve 4 provides communication between percussion cap I and booster charge 6.

Percussion cap I is adapted to be detonated by a firing pin 9 carried on a striker arm l0 biased to striking position by a strong spring I l. Striker arm I0 is pivotally mounted on a rod l2 secured to the wall of auxiliary housing 3 and adapted to be forced from the normal position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted striking position by the action of spring H when said striker arm is released. A safety pin l3 normally holds striker arm ID in safe position.

A lever on detent member I4 is pivotally mounted on shaft 15 secured to the walls of housing 3, said lever member It being provided with a first arm portion It normally slightly overlying the end portion of striker arm H! in detent relationship therewith, and a second arm portion ll normally bearing against one end portion of a bimetal thermostat arm l8 whose other end portion is secured to a resilient mounting bracket 19 fastened to the bottom wall of auxiliary housing 3. The initial setting of the position of thermostat arm IB may be abjusted by rotating a screw bolt 20 which extends through the wall of housing 3 into threaded engagement with a flange 2! provided on an extension of bracket 19. The surface of the outer wall of housing 3 adjacent the head of bolt 20 may be calibrated in degrees of temperature as shown in Figure 2, so that a pointer 22 marked on the bolt head may be set opposite a desired temperature value to indicate the value of change of ambient temperature at which bimetal arm l8 will allow lever It to move to a release position with respect to striker arm It] so as to allow said arm in to be swung by spring II to detonate cap 1.

In setting the mine, a suitable concealed location is selected, bolt 20 is adjusted so that pointer 22 is positioned opposite the desired temperature change for detonation, and safety pin I3 is removed. The location of the mine should be selected with due regard to minimizing the temperature difierential between the desired value of ambient temperature for detonation and the actual temperature at the mine site.

When the ambient temperature reaches the predetermined value, bimetal arm l8 deflects sufliciently to allow lever M to move so as to allow striker arm In to move past detent arm l6 under the pressure of spring I I and to cause striker arm l0 toswing firing pin 9 into forceful contact with percussion cap 1. Cap 1 is detonated, causing booster charge 6 to explode and to set off main charge 2.

Although as disclosed in the present embodiment, the bimetal element will operate to release the striker arm responsive to a change in temperature in one direction, for example, a drop in temperature, it is evident that said bimetal element may be reversed so as to function upon a rise in temperature, if so desired.

While a specific embodiment of a temperature controlled land mine has been disclosed in the foregoing description, various modifications within the spirit of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fuze comprising an explosive charge detonating means movable in a path to detonate said charge, a pivoted detent having one portion normally interpbsed in said path to prevent detonating movement of said detonating means, said detent having a second portion, a bimetallic ele'-' ment engaging said second portion to restrain pivotal movement of said detent means and movable under change of temperature to release the same, a support for said element said supportbe; ing adjustable to vary the ex' exit (if inovrnerit or said element necessary to release said detnt.

2. The combination as specified in claim Land means graduated in terms of temperature change for so adjusting said support.

fuze comprising}; sleeve having a flash Passage therei'n a qepgsater .s'eated' inon'e end of ,ihe sleeve dm li Qw? a sa ee xvie har es 'P i er f n' i a'rifi. P' i ns edia e itih .41 ea e srfi q; t t ement-11s e easi ,I'q 'is neemp i 'in a substantially resilient mounting I bracket hav ii mm d; em: e ied t t e. b ts membt 1 he. 'i e' tt l e arie i n a s in d b li j i eln a a tac ed bi id brack ted cent said iriturnd end-' and hat ng releasable en'- ga i w th .iiete tm ans m ra r in, i f r w i dit i l we 0 sai ftize housing a'nd ijri threaded eniga'ge'ment with o said b t;,. i se w eds i'nb 'd t fi t e .s rik e a dv he 'i at l yxiq .ribl s' ees fi w a s where y the striker aim is held in an inoperative pijsition only a predetermined amtiefit t a' i z i tn 4'. A fuae con'iprising' a sleeve having' a flash assage therein, an explo ive charge disposed at fid f the sleeve and in alignment with the flash passage, a detonator seated in the other end of the sleeve and positioned to fire through the flash tube, a spring driv'r'i striker moiin'te'd o'ii'ts'id of the sleeve, a thermostatically controlled releasing m'ec' is'm adjaeent the striker said thermostatically controlled re: leasing mechanism comprising a substantially resilin t'frfolfiiting' brajekthaving an inturfied end fastened to the base member of the fuzz; hol'l'sirig, a rectari'g'ularl'y' shaped bimetallic ele' ment attached to' said brac et aejscent said inturned end and having releasable engagement with a dt-ent interposed betweenthe thermostatibally controlled mefciiamism and the striker arm and operative to hold the striker arm in an inoperative position only untila predetermined ambient temperature change occurs, and manuail-y operable means for p'rsetting the ther'mb statically controlled me'clmrii'sm, said manually operated means comprising a temperature preset screw, the head end supported in a vertical wall of said fuze housing and the thread portion in adjustable engagement with the opposite end of said mounting bracket.

5. A fuze comprising a sleeve having a flash passage therein, an explosive charge disposed at one end of the sleeve and in axial alignment with the flash passage, a detonator seated in the other end of the sleeve and positioned to fire through the flash tube, a spring driven striker arm pivoted outside of the sleeve, a movable detent for Holding the striker arm in inoperative position, athermos tat comprising a bimetallic arm normally disposed in' the path of movement of the detnt and movable away from the detent to release saiddetentwhen affected by a. change o f ambienttemperature, and means for adjusting the thermostatic arm to permit release of the movable detent at a predetermined ambient temr u' r 6. temperature-responsive detonator for explosive mines comprising a rotatable arm carrying a firing pin movable in a path from a first to a second. or detonating position, spring means urging said rotatable arm into said second pOsiE tion, pivoted detent adapted in oneposition to engage saidrotatable arm and retain the same in its said' first position, and in another position to release said rotatable arm, a bimetallic element riorrnally interposed in the path of pivotal move: merit of said detent to contact and holdthe same in said one position, against the urge of said spring means, and to move out of said path in response to a definite change of ambient temperature, an'd a support for said element adjustable to vary the length of the path of Contact r sire element and detent whereby to selectively vary thechange in ambient temperature necessary to relise' said detent and said rotatable arm.

CHARLES B. WINKLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

